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by Harvey Wasserman
July 13, 2005
War made easy
By Norman Solomon
Published by John Wiley & Sons; 314 pp; $24.95
Selling war is a piece of cake if you have a mess of media that grovels at your Rovian feet, never challenges your deceptions and has its brain embedded in your darkest reaches.
For years now Norman Solomon has clearly and courageously exposed the outrageous way the American government's "fourth branch," the corporate media, has dragged our nation into the business of murder and mayhem.
As one of our keenest and most creative media critics, Norman digs deep into the horrific media corruption that's allowed this latest war to erupt.
By way of disclosure, Norman has been a long-time friend and colleague, a co-author of KILLING OUR OWN: THE DISASTER OF AMERICA'S EXPERIENCE WITH ATOMIC RADIATION (Delacorte/Delta). It's been an honor to work with him over the years and I continue to read his columns and critiques with pleasure and awe.
Norman's WAR MADE EASY is a sharp, cutting compendium, ideal for slashing through the infuriating bullshit the coporate media routinely spews out about official war and the lies behind them. Solomon expertly weaves solid historic perspective into his exposees on the current Bush insanity in southwest Asia. His analysis has depth and credibility. His analysis is engaging, solid and deep. He uses humor, irony and a broad intelligence to get at the core of the sickness that allows what was once a great democracy to squander its moral and fiscal treasure in search of oil, empire and the adolescent fantasties of a warped, unelected interloper.
The message is abundantly clear: the American public is getting nothing like the real story about this administration's foreign policy. Tracking official lies from Lyndon Johnson through Ronald Reagan, Bush I and Bill Clinton, Solomon is not here to wave a partisan flag. WAR MADE EASY gets at the core of a nation that is being systematically kept in the dark about what's being done in its name, with its money, and with the blood of its young.
Solomon has harsh but accurate contempt for an army of toady scribblers who've sunk to pathetic flakdom and who do little more anymore than take dictation at White House press conferences, then posture like journalists while being paid as flunkies.
In a world where power comes from the barrel of a microphone, WAR MADE EASY shows us the real roots of war. This book is a non-violent laser against the lies that blind. Lets hope it's read far and wide, and helps dis-embed our mindless media from its corporate sink hole.
WAR MADE EASY shines the light on Iraq and the gutless media that refuse to cover it. What we see can ultimately save lives and end wars.
HARVEY WASSERMAN'S HISTORY OF THE US is available at http://www.harveywasserman.com. He is senior editor of http://www.freepress.org/, and co-editor, with Bob Fitrakis and Steve Rosenfled, of DID GEORGE W. BUSH STEAL AMERICA'S 2004 ELECTION? (http://www.freepress.org/) .
By Norman Solomon
Published by John Wiley & Sons; 314 pp; $24.95
Selling war is a piece of cake if you have a mess of media that grovels at your Rovian feet, never challenges your deceptions and has its brain embedded in your darkest reaches.
For years now Norman Solomon has clearly and courageously exposed the outrageous way the American government's "fourth branch," the corporate media, has dragged our nation into the business of murder and mayhem.
As one of our keenest and most creative media critics, Norman digs deep into the horrific media corruption that's allowed this latest war to erupt.
By way of disclosure, Norman has been a long-time friend and colleague, a co-author of KILLING OUR OWN: THE DISASTER OF AMERICA'S EXPERIENCE WITH ATOMIC RADIATION (Delacorte/Delta). It's been an honor to work with him over the years and I continue to read his columns and critiques with pleasure and awe.
Norman's WAR MADE EASY is a sharp, cutting compendium, ideal for slashing through the infuriating bullshit the coporate media routinely spews out about official war and the lies behind them. Solomon expertly weaves solid historic perspective into his exposees on the current Bush insanity in southwest Asia. His analysis has depth and credibility. His analysis is engaging, solid and deep. He uses humor, irony and a broad intelligence to get at the core of the sickness that allows what was once a great democracy to squander its moral and fiscal treasure in search of oil, empire and the adolescent fantasties of a warped, unelected interloper.
The message is abundantly clear: the American public is getting nothing like the real story about this administration's foreign policy. Tracking official lies from Lyndon Johnson through Ronald Reagan, Bush I and Bill Clinton, Solomon is not here to wave a partisan flag. WAR MADE EASY gets at the core of a nation that is being systematically kept in the dark about what's being done in its name, with its money, and with the blood of its young.
Solomon has harsh but accurate contempt for an army of toady scribblers who've sunk to pathetic flakdom and who do little more anymore than take dictation at White House press conferences, then posture like journalists while being paid as flunkies.
In a world where power comes from the barrel of a microphone, WAR MADE EASY shows us the real roots of war. This book is a non-violent laser against the lies that blind. Lets hope it's read far and wide, and helps dis-embed our mindless media from its corporate sink hole.
WAR MADE EASY shines the light on Iraq and the gutless media that refuse to cover it. What we see can ultimately save lives and end wars.
HARVEY WASSERMAN'S HISTORY OF THE US is available at http://www.harveywasserman.com. He is senior editor of http://www.freepress.org/, and co-editor, with Bob Fitrakis and Steve Rosenfled, of DID GEORGE W. BUSH STEAL AMERICA'S 2004 ELECTION? (http://www.freepress.org/) .